The disclosures herein relate generally to a computer system and more particularly to a shroud for a hard drive used in a computer system.
Hard drives used in computer systems generate both heat and noise. Hard drives are a dominant source of noise in some desktop computers. Because customers expect quieter systems, hard drive noise must be reduced to achieve that goal.
Vibration isolation is a proven method for reducing hard drive noise, but there are natural limitations to the effectiveness of such systems. More aggressive acoustic targets require that the drive also be encapsulated to reduce airborne noise. Encapsulation naturally introduces new technical challenges on several fronts, so a new solution must offer significant acoustic improvements without compromising performance, manufacturability, or cost goals.
Encapsulation of hard drives has been attempted several times by PC manufacturers, with limited success. One encapsulation scheme completely seals the drive within a plastic enclosure and relies on conduction to a heatsink of the device and ultimately out to ambient air. While the technique is an acoustic success, manufacturability, space requirements, and thermal limitations inhibit its usefulness. Another approach has utilized a ducted encapsulation scheme that encloses the device within a large plastic box designed to allow airflow through the enclosure to minimize the thermal impact. A dedicated fan forces air through the box but does not sense hard drive temperature and leaves much to be desired in terms of manufacturability.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that reduces noise and improves thermal performance.
One embodiment, accordingly, provides an apparatus and a method for reducing noise and improving thermal performance. To this end, a hard drive is encapsulated in a housing having an air flow channel in a first portion of the housing and an air flow port spaced from the air flow channel. A sound suppression cavity is provided in the housing between the channel and the port. A sound suppression material is mounted in the sound suppression cavity.
A principal advantage of this embodiment is that the device reduces noise and improves thermal performance by providing controlled, high velocity airflow over the hard drive.